The present invention relates to an embroidery sewing machine controlling device which enables an operator to select one of a plurality of embroidery data representing a plurality of embroidery patterns, and controls the embroidery sewing machine in accordance with the selected embroidery data.
Conventionally, embroidery data representing embroidery patterns to be formed are stored in a recording medium such as a floppy disk. When an embroidery pattern is to be formed, the embroidery data representing the embroidery pattern is read out of a floppy disk, and the pattern is displayed on a screen of a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), and/or the sewing machine is driven in accordance with the embroidery data.
In the conventional embroidery sewing machine controlling device, various methods have been suggested for selecting data representing a desired pattern from among the data of a plurality of embroidery patterns.
For example, the plurality of embroidery patterns may be categorized into a plurality of data groups and stored in a recording medium in the form of folders, or directories. If a folder is selected, all the pattern data included in the selected folder is read out of the recording medium, and all the patterns may be displayed in a thumb-nail format, or a small rough image of the patterns may be aligned on the display. In such a case, the operator is capable of visually selecting a desired pattern from among the displayed image of the embroidery patterns.
Generally, the data groups, i.e., folders each have a tree structure, and it is well known, in a field related to computers, that such tree structures can be displayed on the display.
In the conventional embroidery sewing machine controlling device, however, the small rough image of the patterns, or the tree structure is displayed exclusively. Therefore, if the desired pattern is not included in the displayed embroidery pattern, the operator must change the display condition so that the tree structure is displayed, in order to select another folder. Then, the embroidery patterns related to the newly selected folder are displayed. Thus, in the conventional embroidery sewing machine controlling device, the display condition should be changed between a condition where the tree structure is displayed and a condition where the embroidery patterns are displayed, and accordingly working efficiency is relatively bad.